Clinton Township, Michigan — KUKA Robotics Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of industrial robots, today announced it will demonstrate its new intelligent mixed product picking concept on its booth (#S-830) at PackExpo 2006 October 29- November 2nd in Chicago, Illinois. The interactive demonstration will allow attendees to create a pallet consisting of mixed products on the show floor by selecting items using an easy-to-use control panel. The KUKA KR 40 PA robot will then create the custom pallet according to the attendee’s selections using KUKA’s order building software. The concept the company calls the KUKA Robo Shop was designed to demonstrate how using automation to fulfill custom orders of mixed product in goods distribution centers will improve order processing and employee working conditions.

"As product life cycles shorten and customers’ demands for mixed pallet orders increase manufacturers will need to improve their goods distribution processes in order to effectively compete in the market," said Kevin Kozuszek, director of marketing for KUKA Robotics Corporation. "This concept shows how manufacturers can use automation to fulfill diverse product orders more quickly and at the same time free employees up from monotonous and possibly hazardous tasks.”

The company will be demonstrating the KUKA Robo Shop concept at PackExpo by using a KUKA KR 40 PA robot and KUKA order building software. The 4 axis robot is capable of handling a payload up to 40 kg, has a reach of up to 2091 mm and will be fitted with a specialized  tool . The KUKA Robo Shop concept will be ideally suited for manufacturers receiving pallet orders containing mixed products such as manufacturers of food and beverage products.

KUKA Robotics Corporation, with its parent company KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, Germany, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of industrial robots, with an annual production volume approaching 7,500 units, and an installed base of over 75,000 units. Core competencies are the development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers, software and linear units. The company’s 5 and 6 axis robots range from 3kg to 570kg payloads, and 635mm to 3700mm reach, all controlled from a common PC based controller platform. KUKA robots are utilized in a diverse range of industries including the appliance, automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, logistics, food, pharmaceutical, medical, foundry and plastics industries and in multiple applications including material handling, machine loading, assembly, packaging, palletizing, welding, bending, joining, and surface finishing. For more information contact KUKA Robotics at 866-873-5852 or visit their website at www.kukarobotics.com.